Officials have confirmed that the United States will move forward with the sale of twelve Embraer A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets to the Nigerian air military.
The Trump administration said it plans to sell the high-tech aircraft, equipped with sophisticated targeting gear, in order to help Nigeria's campaign against Boko Haram Islamic extremists.
Jets expected to sell for $600 million
Nigeria has been trying to purchase the U.S. fighter planes since 2015, but because of their military activity haven't made it easy to complete the sale with the U.S.
Nigeria has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Amnesty International for the extrajudicial killings of close to 8,000 Boko Haram suspects.
After his 2015 election, Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari, promised to investigate the alleged war crimes. However, since then, thousands of people remain in illegal military detention and not one soldier has been prosecuted.
Repeated bombings of civilians by their military
Just prior to Obama's exit from the White House, his administration had approved the sale of the fighter jets to Nigeria, and Congress, at that time, was expecting to receive formal notification to go ahead with the deal.
Then, the Obama administration got news that Nigerian fighters had repeatedly bombed a camp filled with civilians, near the border of Cameroon -- the U.S.
put a stop to the sale. Officials and community members reported that between 100-236 aid workers and civilians had been killed in those bombings.
The U.S. National Security Council continues to work on this deal, although President Donald Trump has made his intention to approve the sale of the fighter planes very clear. Trump has also authorized more military sales to several other countries, but those deals can not be finalized until the White House completes its review.
Nigeria, Africa's largest consumer market
In 2016 the U.S. State Department said, in a report, that the Nigerian's have not taken the appropriate steps to investigate or prosecute those officials accused at the government level.
Nigeria is Africa's largest consumer market, the continent's biggest economy – 170 million people – and its second-largest oil producer.
It is also the most important lawless semi-desert region strategically located on the edge of the Sahel bridging north and sub-Saharan Africa.
Jets made in Jacksonville, FL
Experts warn it is here that Islamic extremists, like the Nigeria-based Boko Haram, might be able to expand their reach into other parts of the region.
Trump's policy to support nations fighting Islamic uprisings fit in perfectly with this sale, and would help create manufacturing and high-wage jobs for Americans. The A-29 aircraft is assembled in Jacksonville, Florida.
